1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for feeding a plurality of untethered animals at their respective feeding places in the same enclosure. The invention relates to feeding of animals in general, but more specifically it relates to feeding of pigs or hogs.
Normally, a number of untethered pigs or hogs of the same age are kept in the same enclosure or pigpen. It is well kown that when such animals are restrictively fed, great variations in the weights of the animals will occur so that the pigs or hogs do not become ready for delivery to the slaughterhouse at the same time. This is to some extent due to different hereditary characteristics, but it is predominantly due to the competition occurring during feeding of the animals, because the more aggressive and quick-eating of the pigs in the enclosure consume a greater amount of fodder than the less aggressive and more slowly eating pigs. This phenomenon means that the individual animal does not get the intended amount of fodder which has been calculated on the basis of the weight of the animal, and, consequently, the utilization of the fodder will not be optimum. Also the utilization of the piggery is adversely influenced, because the more slowly eating pigs or hogs in the pigpen are using more than the stipulated normal time for reaching the slaughter weight, and in the prolonged period of growth they will eat more fodder than necessary. It is true that the quick-eating pigs will reach the slaughter weight in a period of time which is shorter than the stipulated normal time, but nevertheless they will consume a total amount of fodder exceeding the stipulated normal amount.
As the digestive organs of pigs or hogs are comparable with those of the human beings, it is assumed that for pigs as well as for human beings it is unhealthy and inconvenient to overeat. Feeding by means of the conventional feeding apparatuses, rewarding the quick-eating pigs or hogs by supplying more fodder to them than to the more slowly eating pigs, causes an "eating competition".
Thus, the present invention provides a method of feeding a plurality of untethered animals at their respective feeding places in the same enclosure, said method comprising supplying during a feeding period to each of said feeding places portions of fodder, each portion not exceeding a few mouthfuls, at such time intervals that the rate of fodder supply to each of said feeding places substantially corresponds to the desired eating rate of each of said animals. The time intervals between the supply of succeeding portions of fodder to each feeding place may then be chosen so that the animals will have good time to chew and swallow the fodder. On the other hand, the time intervals between the supply of succeeding fodder portions may not be made so long that the animals become impatient and are tempted to change feeding place. It has been found that the feeding of pigs or hogs by supplying small portions to the eating places in accordance with the method of the invention has an advantageous psychological effect on the animals. Apparently, the animals become so engaged in following the feeding rhythm that they forget about the neighbouring pigs and about their own normal aggressiveness. The supply of fodder in portions also makes it possible to obtain a more accurate and uniform supply of fodder to the individual feeding places than when fodder is supplied continuously. Thus, in the most simple form the metering of the portions may take place by means of a metering cup, a metering chamber or the like.
According to the invention the time intervals between the supply of succeeding fodder portions to the same feeding place may be varied within the same feeding period, whereby it is possible to control the eating rhythm of the pigs or hogs in a desired manner. For example, the time intervals may be made longer during the last part of the feeding period than during the first part thereof when the pigs are still hungry and more impatient. The time intervals may, of course, also be varied from one feeding period to another, and the various feeding periods may be made longer or shorter as desired.
Also the amount of fodder in each of the portions supplied may be changed within certain limits. It has been found that the above mentioned psychological effect is not obtained if each portion contains such an amount of fodder that it takes relatively short time for the pig to eat the same. On the other hand each portion should preferably contain an amount of fodder sufficient to satisfy the animal for a while. According to the invention each portion of fodder does not substantially exceed one mouthful.
The method according to the invention may be used in connection with any type of fodder suitable to be metered in portions. Thus, a suitable amount of liquid may be added to the fodder before metering thereof. However, in such case the fodder tends to stick to wall parts with which it comes into contact. Therefore, it is normally preferred to use dry fodder, and in that case a suitable liquid portion may be supplied to each feeding place for each portion of dry fodder. Because the liquid is supplied in portions, and not continuously, the correct relative amounts of dry fodder and liquid will immediately be present at each feeding place. The amount of liquid supplied may be made by mixing two or more different liquids immediately before supplying them to the feeding places. If, for example, the liquids are water and a protein containing liquid, the blending proportion may be controlled so as to accurately control the supply of protein liquid in accordance with the varying need of the animals.
The feeding places may be in the form of adjacent troughs or trough sections which may, for example, be arranged along a circle or a line. In principle, the portions of fodder may be supplied to the various feeding places simultaneously or in a predetermined order of succession. In practice, the fodder portions may advantageously be supplied to the various feeding places by means of a rotor passing a number of ducts or passages each communicating with a respective one of the feeding places. Thus, when the rotor rotates, portions of fodder are successively supplied to the various feeding places. If the rotor rotates with a substantially constant rotational speed, the portions of fodder may be supplied to the individual feeding places with substantial uniform time intervals, which may, however, be changed, if desired, by changing the rotational speed of the rotor and/or the length of a possible stop or interval between succeeding revolutions of the rotor. As mentioned above, dry fodder and liquid may be supplied separately to each feeding place. The dry fodder may then, for example, contain all the fodder components necessary for the desired growth of the animals, and the liquid may then be water. Alternatively, the dry fodder may be carbohydrate fodder, and the liquids may be a standard nutritive liquid and water, respectively.
The invention also relates to an apparatus for feeding animals at their respective feeding places, said apparatus comprising a fodder reservoir and metering and supply means for metering from said reservoir portions of fodder not exceeding a few mouthfuls, and for supplying during a feeding period of each of said feeding places a plurality of said metered portions of fodder at desired time intervals.